Rumors
by kathrynblack
Summary: Eames and Nichols have a conversation. oneshot tag to 'Major Case'. Slight B/A.


**A/N: I'm really not sure what this is so I'll call it a tag. It's kinda a blanket term for everything, missing scene's post-eps, you know, the works.**

**Anyway this is my first CI fanfic. So reviews would be appreciated.**

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Zach Nichols walked over to his temporary partner and handed her a cup of coffee. "Not sure how you take it so, uh, I've got sugar and cream." He said dropping both onto Eames' desk. "Thanks for filling in today."

"No problem." Alex Eames replied opening a packet of sugar and dumping it in her coffee. "With Bobby out of town I didn't have much else to do."

"You two have been partners for…what?"

"Almost nine years now."

"You get close after that long, huh?"

"Don't go there, Nichols. You are not on my bad side yet." Alex had caught the probing undertone in Zach's voice.

"And I assume it would be beneficial for me if I stayed that way."

"It would indeed."

"I'll keep that in mind. But Eames, you must've heard the rumors. They never stop. They've even started up about Megan and me already. You two were partnered up right before I left and there were bets on how long the two of you would last. Consensus seemed to be two t' three months. With people like the two of you, Goren especially, no one expected you to last very long. And when you did," he chuckled slightly, "Well, people around here are too narrow minded to assume it's anything other than you two sleeping together.

"Now, he does his little things to keep the rumors down, for your sake. Like how after nearly a decade of partnership he still insists on calling you Eames. How he never leaves with you, and never soon enough after that that it looks like he's following you out, but trying to make it look like he's not. It translates into a lot of late nights."

"You know a lot about the people around here for being…wherever you were for seven years." Alex noted.

He shrugged. "Ohio mostly. And people talk; I listen."

"Now you sound like a shrink."

"I am a shrink. In a manner of speaking."

"Prove it. What are your thoughts on me?"

"Okay, if you insist." Zach didn't normally pass up an opportunity to show off. "Now I haven't known you that long, so don't hold it against me if I'm completely off on some of this. You and Goren are more than partners. You want to believe it's just friendship, but honestly you don't know. You know that Detectives, even ones who are close to their partners, who put them through half the crap he's put you through normally end up hating each other, but you don't. You've been pretty pissed many times, but never enough to request a partner transfer, at least not since you've gotten to know him.

"Which leads me to his suspension. He was in his own way at least trying to protect you. You're all he's got and he is painfully aware of that fact. He'll do whatever he thinks is necessary to keep you safe, despite your objection's, and you knew that. You weren't angry because he didn't tell you what he was doing. You were angry because you almost killed him and you couldn't help, but think what if you did. You weren't prepared to face the reality of someone else you cared for, even almost dying. Not after Joe's death, even after as long as you keep telling yourself it's been.

"So am I even a little bit on target?" he asked.

Alex didn't reply. She knew he was right about everything, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of saying so out loud. Her and Bobby's relationship was complicated and after less than a year of working with them he had managed to not only understand it, but be able to explain it. "You would've made one hell of a psychiatrist." She said after a moment.

"I'll take that as a compliment." He said with that half smile of his.

"I wouldn't. I might've meant one hell of a bad one."

"Did you?"

"You'll never know."

"Well, you're partner's gonna be back soon and I don't much like the idea of him finding me at his desk. Plus I need to go see my partner. I'll see you around Eames." He stood up and pulled on his coat.

"Say hi to her and Margot for me."

"Will do."


End file.
